Well, me thinks I will check this out today, I will ride my bike tho, since that &*%^^$^% campbell now charges for parking in a provincial park :twisted: :twisted:
By Erin
Kelley-Gedischk
Goldstream News Gazette
Nov 02 2005
The lure of towering trees and a lush temperate rainforest isn't the only reason droves of tourists flock to Goldstream Provincial Park each fall.
A creek bed lined with hundreds of rotting salmon carcasses also pulls in a crowd.
Goldstream Park offers front row seats to one of nature's greatest spectacles - the annual salmon run.
A walk along the interpretive trail allows visitors to bear witness to the mystery of a salmon's life cycle.
Thousands of Chum, Coho and Chinook make the epic journey up Finlayson Arm, into Goldstream, to the place where they hatched four years earlier.
Undaunted by rapids, logs jams and waterfalls, their bodies become battered and scarred in the process. After spawning, the salmon die shortly after.
But the cycle doesn't end there.
Hundreds of eagles, perched on coniferous branches, come to Goldstream Park to stake out lunch. Bears gorge on their last meals before hibernating for the winter. Tiny salmon fry emerge from beneath the rocky streambed to feed before their departure to the sea.
The salmon's rite of death ritual is happening at Goldstream Park now through December.
"The numbers of salmon returning are moderate this year," said naturalist Adam Taylor.
Hatchery biologists expect 30,000 Chum to return this year, with the majority arriving in November. Taylor attributes the lower than average numbers due to a lack of rain.
"Salmon use rain as a cue to come upstream," he said.
Just as the salmon return every four years, so too has the free salmon education program for schoolchildren.
"We are absolutely thrilled to have our programs back," said Taylor.
After the provincial government cut funding for educational programs at Goldstream Park's nature house several years ago, the number of participants in school programs dropped from approximately 300 classes a year to 100, Taylor said.
Local businesses were encouraged to donate funds in order to offset the cost of running the program. After four tumultuous years for the nature house, the Goldstream Chums program has garnered enough corporate sponsorship to make the program free again.
In addition to the programs for schools, the nature house continues to offer a variety of activities for the whole family each weekend.
Goldstream Park is currently recruiting volunteers to help staff the Nature House and patrol the stream during the salmon run. Volunteers would work three to four hour shifts once per week. Weekend help is especially needed.
http://www.canada.com/victoria/aroundtown/story.html?id=71f25bf2-8de6-491f-aedc-52180ac03327
Course this is not as spectular as the run on the somass river, dat is the river of me childhood 8) And correct me if I am wrong, but the fraser, thompson, nass, skenna, adams and the somass 8) Have the biggest salmon runs in BC.
By Erin
Kelley-Gedischk
Goldstream News Gazette
Nov 02 2005
The lure of towering trees and a lush temperate rainforest isn't the only reason droves of tourists flock to Goldstream Provincial Park each fall.
A creek bed lined with hundreds of rotting salmon carcasses also pulls in a crowd.
Goldstream Park offers front row seats to one of nature's greatest spectacles - the annual salmon run.
A walk along the interpretive trail allows visitors to bear witness to the mystery of a salmon's life cycle.
Thousands of Chum, Coho and Chinook make the epic journey up Finlayson Arm, into Goldstream, to the place where they hatched four years earlier.
Undaunted by rapids, logs jams and waterfalls, their bodies become battered and scarred in the process. After spawning, the salmon die shortly after.
But the cycle doesn't end there.
Hundreds of eagles, perched on coniferous branches, come to Goldstream Park to stake out lunch. Bears gorge on their last meals before hibernating for the winter. Tiny salmon fry emerge from beneath the rocky streambed to feed before their departure to the sea.
The salmon's rite of death ritual is happening at Goldstream Park now through December.
"The numbers of salmon returning are moderate this year," said naturalist Adam Taylor.
Hatchery biologists expect 30,000 Chum to return this year, with the majority arriving in November. Taylor attributes the lower than average numbers due to a lack of rain.
"Salmon use rain as a cue to come upstream," he said.
Just as the salmon return every four years, so too has the free salmon education program for schoolchildren.
"We are absolutely thrilled to have our programs back," said Taylor.
After the provincial government cut funding for educational programs at Goldstream Park's nature house several years ago, the number of participants in school programs dropped from approximately 300 classes a year to 100, Taylor said.
Local businesses were encouraged to donate funds in order to offset the cost of running the program. After four tumultuous years for the nature house, the Goldstream Chums program has garnered enough corporate sponsorship to make the program free again.
In addition to the programs for schools, the nature house continues to offer a variety of activities for the whole family each weekend.
Goldstream Park is currently recruiting volunteers to help staff the Nature House and patrol the stream during the salmon run. Volunteers would work three to four hour shifts once per week. Weekend help is especially needed.
http://www.canada.com/victoria/aroundtown/story.html?id=71f25bf2-8de6-491f-aedc-52180ac03327
Course this is not as spectular as the run on the somass river, dat is the river of me childhood 8) And correct me if I am wrong, but the fraser, thompson, nass, skenna, adams and the somass 8) Have the biggest salmon runs in BC.